Jul 28, 2013

05:37 AM

Connecticut Animal Attacks Highlight Issue of Unlicensed Dogs

By Rich Scinto

Peter Hvizdak/New Haven Register

Phineas, a four-month old Briard dog whose owner, Victoria Morrow, was bitten by an unleashed dog. Morrow, who did not want to be in a photograph, criticizes New Haven Animal Shelter supervisor New Haven Police officer Stephanie Johnson for not protecting the public from dangerous unleashed dogs.

Victoria Morrow was enjoying Father’s Day in Edgerton Park in New Haven with her family friends and her Briard dog Phineas when an unleashed dog confronted them, she said.

The other dog, which she described as a pit-bull mix, crouched down and was getting ready to lunge at Phineas, who was only three months old at the time. Sensing what was about to happen, she picked up Phineas just as the other dog began to lunge at him, she said.

Morrow’s left hand was caught in the dog’s grip. Phineas was knocked out of her arms. Her son managed to grab the other dog by its hind legs and fling it away, she said. The dog’s owner then came up and leashed his dog and began walking away, she said.

Her husband, Paul Genecin, called police and told the owner to wait and to provide proof the dog had its rabies vaccination, but the other owner left with his dog, Morrow said. Police took an initial report at Yale-New Haven Hospital and broadcast a description of the dog that allegedly attacked Morrow, according to a police report.

Morrow is not alone in facing the aftermath of a dog bite.

The number of reported dog bites in the city varies from year to year but there were 10 reported bites in 2011 and 42 in 2010, according to a state Department of Agriculture report. Waterbury had the most reported dog bites in 2011 at 139 for the year. Groton came in second with 100.